Hampton selectmen set initial noise limit

HAMPTON — Ahead of a public hearing scheduled for Monday, selectmen settled on a preliminary entertainment noise limit: 75 decibels before 11 p.m. and 65 decibels until 1 a.m.

Nick B. Reid

HAMPTON — Ahead of a public hearing scheduled for Monday, selectmen settled on a preliminary entertainment noise limit: 75 decibels before 11 p.m. and 65 decibels until 1 a.m.

Hampton Beach Village District Chairman Chuck Rage said he felt that level was "not unreasonable," but he wondered how many people truly understand what those numbers even mean. To him, the noise issue is best settled between the parties involved.

"I just think the neighbors have to work with each other. What works for each business might be a little different," he said.

Rage, who owns the Pelham Motel, said a lot of his guests enjoy hearing the music played nearby at the Sea Ketch Restaurant during the day. But he supported an 11 p.m. cutoff to ensure people aren't kept awake by music. He said he thinks there may be some vocal residents, particularly in the neighborhoods that are predominantly residential.

"I think some of the people around say M Street and L Street ... seem to be where there's a lot of families that will talk about it," he said.

Selectman Mike Pierce, who studied decibel levels with Deputy Police Chief Rich Sawyer earlier this year, proposed the 75-65 decibel limit based on the background noise he measured at that time and what he felt was reasonable.

Selectmen Chairman Dick Nichols, who also invested time with the police in a similar fashion, agreed with Pierce's suggestion, especially that the noise reduction after 11 p.m. must be about 10 decibels.

"A 5-decibel difference is not obviously discernible," he said.

Nichols said he thought either the 75-65 decibel limit or a slightly higher 80-70 limit were the only two reasonable options. The selectmen opted for the more conservative number, saying it may reduce situations in which complainants are angry about noise that to them seems too loud but is actually only 1 decibel point, for instance, over an 80-decibel limit.

"Do you pull someone over for going 36 mph in a 35 mph zone?" Nichols asked.

Noting the figures are only preliminary in advance of the Dec. 16 public hearing, Nichols said he wanted a draft of the ordinance to be able to share with interested parties.

While the other selectmen supported the concept of a decibel-limited entertainment ordinance, Phil Bean said he wished to distance himself from the idea.

"I just think that this whole effort is going to create more problems than it solves," Bean said. "It will create lawsuits. It will create a stampede on our police resources."

Other business

Monday's public hearing will also include a hearing regarding proposed solid waste collection changes — though selectmen haven't proposed any warrant articles on that subject — as well as a public hearing on how the town should handle the Old Mill Pond Dam, which the state ordered to be reconstructed or decommissioned.

Rage said he anticipates many beach residents will turn out to the meeting to speak about the trash and noise issues.

While selectmen have dropped their previous attempt to offer a warrant article asking voters whether they would support a plan in which property owners must pay for anything more than one trash pickup per week, Norm Silberdick, representing the Rational Taxpayers of Hampton, said he is going to offer a petitioned warrant article to that effect. Selectman Mary-Louise Woolsey, acting as a private citizen, said she is going to offer a petitioned warrant article that would cease commercial trash pickup.

It will read: "On petition of Mary-Louise Woolsey and at least 25 other registered voters — To see if the Town will vote to direct the Board of Selectmen to discontinue all Public Collection of Condominium, Commercial and Retail Waste (trash and recycling), no later than September 15, 2014?"

The public hearings begin at 7 p.m. Monday in the Town Offices.

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